


Starry Eyed

by Iacroix, Toki



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Actor!Thor, Alternate Universe - Human, Director!Loki, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Slow Burn, Theatre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 07:23:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14910921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iacroix/pseuds/Iacroix, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toki/pseuds/Toki
Summary: In the city of New York, Thor is an aspiring stage actor whose just landed his big break in a leading role written by esteemed playwright and director, Loki Laufeyson.Loki, on the other hand, has a reputation for becoming obsessive with his work. Namely, with his leads.





	Starry Eyed

**Author's Note:**

> This work was written for the amazing Boro on Twitter and is a late on-going birthday gift. She gifted me with this AU. Please check out her Twitter here: https://twitter.com/chachaboro
> 
> Starry Eyed continues on my theme of NYC and acting. Thank you to IaCroix for editing (helping to create) this story.

“Thor, about time you pick up! Never leave me on ring again, you little sh-”

Thor quickly pulled the phone away from his ear, cringing at the sheer volume coming through it. “Val, hi,” he answered, slightly out of breath, “Sorry, was running up the steps from the subway.”

“Don’t interrupt me, I’m in the middle of calling you a little shit. I had to call you twice. That’s one time too many.” Valkyrie bit, the impatient drumming of her fingers audible even through the phone. “Listen up, I have good news and bad news.”

Thor winced immediately. “Oh, god.”

Valkyrie wasted no time getting on with it. “Good news is: you landed your first big role. You got the lead in Loki Laufeyson’s play.”

The actor to stopped in his tracks, earning him a few disgruntled looks from his place smack in the middle of the busy street. “Wait, are you kidding me? I got the part?” Thor’s heart was caught in his throat. Honestly, he didn’t think he would be hearing back from that production. Loki Laufeyson was equal parts a genius in his craft and notorious for being far too particular, and frankly Thor only auditioned because the opportunity to work with him was too good to pass up.

Either way, it sounded too good to be true and he quickly sobered up. “What’s the bad news?”

“Bad news is that you got the lead in the play. Listen, Thor. I know you starry-eyed types that come fresh out of conservatory, not really understanding how things work.” She began, pointedly ignoring his protests. “Are you sure you’re ready to work with Laufeyson? I want my ten percent as much as you want the role, but I know you’ve heard how difficult he is to work with. It would honestly be better for your rep to decline now, rather than drop out mid-rehearsal because the director is impossible.”

Thor frowned, however still elated by the news. “What? No. I don’t care if he’s the social pariah of the business, I need this part. I’d be an idiot to let rumors chase me away.” The blond was gripping his phone as though it might fly out of his hand and cause his agent to throw away his shot. “Tell me you said yes!”

“Settle down, I’m only telling you this because I like you, surprisingly. I just needed to make sure you’re on board seeing I’ve already accepted on your behalf. Take this as my mandatory occupational health and safety warning from the agency.”

Despite Valkyrie’s clear displeasure of Loki, Thor was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, thanking her profusely for bringing up the opportunity to work with a director of his caliber. Being a part of Loki Laufeyson’s acclaimed stage productions was no small thing. With stellar reviews of his work across the board, being a lead with him meant doors opening for him left and right: A make it or break it role for Thor.

“This is great! I can’t believe- wow. Come on, it can’t be that bad, Val!”

“Famous last words, blondie. Laufeyson called me himself to say that you were the ‘embodiment of his character’, so I couldn’t exactly say no. What sane person says something like that? Anyway, I’ll email you the rehearsal schedule. You need to be at the theatre tomorrow at 10:00 AM- Actually, get there at 9:30, I know his type. Don’t be late. Oh, and good luck.”

The phone call ended abruptly before he could get another thanks in.

Thor stared down at his phone, his heart beating a mile a minute. _Huh. I got the part_ , he thought, still processing the news. “I got the part!” he yelled. He was only met with dirty looks and a ‘shut up!’, but hey, that’s New York.

Beaming and ramped up, Thor ran the rest of the way to his fourth story walk-up and all but jumped his the way up the stairs. He threw the door open and nearly gave his roommate a heart attack when he picked him up in a hug and twirled him around.

“Jesus Christ, you giant oaf! Put me down!” Fandral flailed and pushed at Thor’s arms until he was set on his feet. “What the hell, Thor?” He grunted, wasting no time in settling his hair back into place. “You scared the hell out of me!”

Thor grabbed Fandral’s shoulders, shaking them in tandem with his own bursting enthusiasm. “I got it Fandral! I got the lead in _La misère du danseur_! I’m playing Kristoph!” Thor was going a mile a minute, and once his friend was able to process the frenzied words correctly he jumped back into Thor’s arms, spinning his friend around himself.

“Oh my god, Thor! This is amazing news! I knew it. See, I told you this was going to come together!” After being shaken around a few times, Fandral hugged Thor fiercely. He knew Thor really needed his big break, after too many minor roles and the stream of rejections that came with the package. “We’re ordering out tonight. And having a beer. I’m so proud of you, man.”

“A gourmet meal!” Thor laughed.

As Fandral made the arrangements for their celebratory dinner, Thor slumped on the couch, finally able to catch a breath from the excitement. Fandral ordered his favorite; piping hot, entirely greasy and oil-soaked Chinese takeout from the local restaurant around the corner. What could he say, Thor liked it sloppy. Though he stopped bringing it up since Fandral never missed the opportunity to follow suit with a loud and an entirely deserved ‘that’s what she said’.

Despite their turbulent finances and living situation, Fandral made for the best roommate and an even better friend. They had met years ago when he first moved to New York City from London to go to conservatory, and clicked instantly over the dramatic arts and their ridiculous sense of humor.

Back then, Fandral’s flavor of the month had moved out and left a vacancy for a roommate. And so as one does, Fandral bravely posted a listing on Craigslist and awaited divine judgment. He was lucky that the aspiring actor was the one to answer first. “I could’ve been a serial killer, friend.” Thor remembers laughing about over drinks, to which Fandral responded with a cackling, “What are the chances of two serial killers under the same roof?” Which was when Thor knew they’d get along.

Fandral was ecstatic to hear that Thor was working towards a career in the arts, as an ambitious creative himself studying costume design at the time. That meant two things for him: that he had someone to moan and groan over hardships with, and that Thor had such an amazing athlete’s body that he would never have to worry about finding a model ever again. The latter, Thor was not so enthused about, especially not after that time Fandral thought ‘vikings in space’ was a viable theme. In exchange, Fandral gave Thor the grand tour of the city, and most importantly, where to get the cheapest beer. He had introduced him to his other friends, Volstagg and Hogun. The four of them got along famously and Thor felt like he had found his family away from family.

Thor moaned in appreciation between bites, grateful to take a break from pizza and microwavables. “Gods, Fandral. This is so good. I love you.”

Fandral smiled bemusedly. “I see one doesn’t need to wine and dine you when takeout will suffice.”

Thor’s phone chimed, notifying him of an email that detailed his first rehearsal tomorrow: He would be performing in the Lucille Lortel Theatre downtown with regular rehearsals to take place there. Thor’s heart fluttered as he went through the message. While this theatre wasn’t a part of the main Broadway cluster, it was an important theatre and this would surely be an important show with Loki’s name attached to it.

“What’s this? A message from the big boss himself?” Fandral couldn’t help but ask at Thor’s broad grin.

“Just the details for tomorrow. But you know what he did say? Apparently, Val said Loki called her himself to say I was, quote: ‘the embodiment of his character’.” Thor said with an emphatic waggle of his chopsticks.

Fandral almost choked on his noodles. “Wow,” he coughed. “Finally, someone more dramatic than myself.”

“He’s eccentric.”

“From what you’ve told me before, he sounds insane.”

“He’s a genius!”

“You said he made an actor cry in front of everyone for showing up to casual rehearsal in shorts.”

“... He’s misunderstood?”

“Either way, don’t forget,” Fandral waved him off, trying to speak between large chews, “You promised you’d star in one of my shows and wear my designs when you’re famous, you big ol’ leading man.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” Thor said good-naturedly. He combed a hand through his messy locks, still in shock that this was all happening.

Unfortunately, the shock lasted well into the rest of the day and he barely slept that night, tossing and turning in anticipation.

His anxiety and alarm both went off seemingly minutes after he finally closed his eyes, but he dutifully got up and took extra time to get ready, almost entirely fuelled by excitement and apprehension. _It’s just a regular work day,_ he rationalised to calm his nerves, _with Loki. No big deal. It’s just a performance that everyone important will watch and should you fail spectacularly your career will be ruined before it kicks off- oh god. Oh god._

“Oh god,” he started to say out loud when his zen bubble burst before it even took shape, taking the stress out on his hair as he combed in jerky movements.

“Coffee?” Fandral offered, lounging against the kitchen island.

“I’m about ready to bounce off the roof. If I had any caffeine in me I would launch myself into space.”

“And I have just the outfit for th-”

“Goodbye, Fandral!”

Fandral snickered behind his mug. For someone with Thor’s size and bravado, he really knew how to pull a nervous nelly before every performance. “Break a leg!”

After some last minute primping to make sure he at least looked, if not felt, good to go, Thor packed his dance gear and ran to catch the early train to make his way downtown.

 

* * *

 

Good to his word, Thor made it to the theatre earlier than suggested and was not surprised to find that the door was already opened. He made his way to the stage where one Loki Laufeyson was standing in the middle taking notes on lighting. Green eyes shot Thor’s way.

“Mister Odinson. Early, I see. Very good.” Loki greeted him quietly, carrying himself with a reserved grace unlike most directors Thor had known in his life who seemed to have one volume: loud. “Part of being the lead is setting the example. Come.”

Thor bound up the steps and extended his hand in a friendly gesture. Loki responded in kind and gripped the blond’s hand tightly. With a curt nod and stern expression, Thor got the distinct impression that Loki was used to being in control of every situation, even the slightest ones apparently.

“Please, call me Thor. I think we’ll be getting to know each other well enough. Thank you for this opportunity, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.” The actor flashed a brilliant smile.

“Very well, Thor. I’m sure you’ll show me your gratitude by bringing everything you have to Kristoph. I trust you come with the understanding of the importance of this character along with the message of the show itself.” Loki replied and turned his attention away as the rest of the actors filed in.

Thor noticed his new director glancing at his watch, taking note of any minor tardiness with pursed lips. _Thank you, Val_ , Thor thought, grateful for her tip to come in ahead of schedule.

True to fashion, Loki wasted no time at all and drew everyone’s attention with a clear snap of his fingers the moment they seemed settled in. He had chairs arranged in a circle for the classic obligatory ice breaker.

It was a small cast of four. The man opposite Thor was playing Kristoph’s love interest, Loren. The actor’s name was Peter and he was a born and bred New Yorker, with all the machismo and mannerisms of the stereotype, complete with a stage name ‘Star Lord’ which Loki promptly told him to never bring up again. To the left, a petite actor named Amora. She was from LA and certainly looked the part. She was the Prima Ballerina of the show within the play named Elise. The next in line was Sif: a powerful-looking woman with an impressive frame, who was to play the old school ballet instructor Madame DesChamps.

Finally, they got to Thor.

“Hello, my name is Thor Odinson. I come from London, though I was born in Australia, which explains my accent.” That got a smile from Peter and Sif at least. “I moved here when I was accepted to conservatory. I guess now I’m trying to prove to the States that it’s worth it to give me a Visa, so that I can be here to stay and pursue my goals like the rest of you. I’ll be playing Kristoph, and I look forward to working with you guys.”

“Alright,” Loki started after a pause. “My name is Loki Laufeyson, as I hope you might already know. I’m both your director and playwright. I’m also from London, but only in that I was born there. I was raised in Oxford and moved here some years ago, and here I am.” The last part was directed at Thor, as if in some show of kinship. “Please note, I have no tolerance for tardiness or excuses. I expect everyone to be off book by the end of the week.” he passed out scripts. “We’ll start with the read through until we have to break for lunch. Warm up, everyone. We’ll begin in ten.”

With a clap of his hands, the cast spread out around the stage to stretch.

“So, ‘Star Lord’, huh?” Amora laughed as she tied her long hair into a messy bun.

“Hey, it has a good ring to it! Lord of the Stars, gotta dream big everyone.” Peter huffed, giving her an indignant look. “Besides, my friend told me it was a great name and I believe him.”

“And what does he call himself?” Sif asked.

Without missing a beat, Peter responded with, “Rocket.”

Even Thor couldn’t hold back his laughter despite feeling a bit bad for his castmate getting snipped at by Loki within minutes of introducing himself. “Alright, everyone. I think we should get going.”

“Yeah, before our lord and master gives me a public flogging for having fun.” Peter grumbled as they made their way back to their seats.

“Now that you’ve been thoroughly acquainted,” Loki’s clear voice cut through their chatter, “We’re going to discuss the central themes of _La misère du danseur_. For if you don’t even understand the essence, then you’re wasting everyone’s time. Tell me, Thor, what descriptors do you think of when I mention the word ‘dance’?”

“Um, graceful… uh, poised, elegant, smooth-”

“And are you any of that?”

Thor was taken aback at Loki’s frankness, stammering a little. “I would hope so.”

“Hm,” was all Loki offered. “The world is still much so defined by binary, and we all operate within the boundaries in order to succeed in any meaningful way. That being said: in the world of dance, ballet in particular, you are a bull in a China shop. The opposite of what you just shared. Large, built and frankly you look as if you should be in a career of murdering someone with your bare hands.”

Thor visibly bristled at his words.

“And yet, that is Kristoph’s struggle.” said Loki, _and that is why you are perfect for him_ , went unsaid. “Today, we will be breaking down your roles, and then yourselves. By the end of our session, you will have connected with your character to the point where you are them, in thought and in movement.”

“You’re breaking us down, alright.” Peter couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, promptly earning a kick from Sif.

“The misery of the dancer — Kristoph’s misery in particular; his journey is to navigate a discipline that doesn’t want him, questions his place among them and ultimately ostracizes him from normal life.” Loki picked off, speaking all too casually as Thor clenched his fists. “Now look at you, Miss Amora. You are everything as described by Thor and more. Delicate and beautiful, as if you were taken out of a music box. I’ve seen your resume, it's quite impressive. You certainly have no shortage of productions hoping to lend your image.”

Amora perked up, though the sentiment didn’t last long.

“Did you know that during Shakespeare’s lifetime he never saw a woman play any of his heroines? The theatre was strictly for men, as was the realm for respected professions. As history went on, it decided that the arts were beneath them, degrading: that’s when it became women’s work.” He paused, running a glance among his cast. “Now, it is considered to be for misfits, for those disproportionate to their designated roles. This is the story of those misfits, and that is why you were selected to be here.”

As happy as he was to land a role where his plight finally lead him to some good: with Loki verbally flaying him and his castmates first thing in the morning, he was really rethinking it.

Thor was certainly no stranger to the struggles of being overtly masculine in the domain of classical dance. The majority of his rejections were because of his bulk, being too tall or too large to fit in with the rest of the cast despite having the necessary skills. That didn’t mean he wanted to hear it for the next hour.

Then, of course, came the interpretive sex scene between Kristoph and Loren.

“ _Stop_.” said Loki abruptly. He pursed his lips, and that’s when Thor knew he was going to get it. “Thor, have you never fucked another person before in your entire life?”

Thor faltered in his posture and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not on stage, I haven’t.” he tried to joke, earning a quiet snicker from Peter behind him.

Loki, on the other hand, was not amused.

“Your delivery is robotic and juvenile at best. Is your goal to portray a prepubescent boy? If so, you’re succeeding marvelously. Not a day into production and you have an absolute gaping maw in your areas needing improvement. Please, I’ve seen enough. Everyone, take lunch.”

Before Thor could get a word in, Loki was packing his things and making his way out. Thor’s cast mates gave him a comforting pat on the back as they walked past him.

“Come on, I know a good place by the Christopher Street Station.” Sif offered.

She lead them to a local bodega to take lunch. It was a nice place, with grass around the area like a miniature park. Any other time, Thor would have enjoyed it.

“Wow,” Peter started, “And I thought he had it out for me.”

Sif shot him a reproachful look. “Shut up, Star Lord.”

“He hates me.” Thor said as he dejectedly picked at his sub, “I’m going to get recast by the end of the day.”

“That’s not true. You know what they say, Loki’s the hardest on his favourites.” Amora tried to comfort him, although to be honest she had her reservations. “You know what they also say about him...”

Sif let out a sigh, where in turn Peter instantly perked up. “Ohh, gossip.”

“Oh come on, guys. Surely you've heard about Loki and his... _fondness_ for his male leads.” Amora said conspiratorially, flipping her blonde hair behind her shoulder while staring directly at Thor.

Thor returned her look with a baleful frown, not the one to actively engage in gossip himself. As the saying goes, the higher you are, the more people want to watch you fall. Loki was certainly on a high enough pedestal.

“He totally tries to sleep with all his leading lads. Or slept with, but you know, nobody’s confirmed.”

Peter let out a dramatic gasp. “You mean nobody’s lived to tell the tale.”

“My friend’s brother was in one of his shows and said that that Brit was super handsy.” Amora continued, smirking at Thor. “They say that no one’s come out to verify the rumors that he sleeps with his leads because the sex is so damn good. And that they call him _silvertongue_ because-”

“Alright, this is just getting ridiculous.” Sif cut in, “Stop making Thor feel bad.”

“No, it’s fine.” Thor said, grateful for the change in conversation. “My agent warned me about Loki being a bit difficult to work with. The boys at Juilliard brought it up a fair few times, but I’m not worried. People like to talk and blow things out of proportion. Every single one of his leads have moved onto bigger and better things, so I figure an intense director is well worth it.” He tried to shrug it off before biting into his sandwich.

Amora raised a delicately styled brow and stared at him in disbelief. With a face and body like that, even if Loki hadn’t a bad rap to begin with, there was no way he wasn’t thinking about it the moment Thor walked in. At least Amora was thinking it. “Alright, big boy. Just don’t say no one warned you, I guess.” She sipped her green smoothie and leaned back onto the old park bench. “Hey, speaking of agents: you’re represented by Valkyrie Talent, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Val, she’s great.”

“I heard. Tall, strong, cutthroat, and beautiful. Can I get her number?”

“Oh, me too!” Peter added.

They fell into easy conversation after that, talking about agencies and their collective shock at the callback they received for this production. As they finished up, Thor tried to shake off the uneasy thoughts that Amora had left him with as they made their way back to the theatre. He felt a little better after getting some fresh air from earlier on at rehearsal, but still dreaded heading back. _Breathe in, breathe out. Let it go, Thor._

The cast climbed the steps to the stage and assumed their seats. In his periphery, Thor noticed Loki’s short nod of approval as he heeded his watch. _Geez_ , he thought.

“Let us continue on with the read through.” Loki said.

Thor let out a quiet relieved breath at that. Loki’s reaction to his lack of emotional connection to his scene partner first thing in the morning was nothing short of a worst case scenario for him.

“Perhaps it was too early to explore intimacy before you’ve had the chance to properly understand your character. Everyone, resume at page 103, act two.”

Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

 

* * *

 

Of course, nothing was easy when it came to working with Loki. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted and ready to go home.

Not content with a simple line reading, Loki had his cast reading their lines with vigour, prompting them to respond as if they were already taken to the stage. The text called for intense emotion, vulnerability, and would surely take its toll to perform every night. The script didn’t hesitate to touch on themes that were far too relatable to the cast for comfort.

Thor was alone on the stage, reaching the crescendo of his final act.

Kristoph had come out of a particularly nasty row with his father, who had nothing but scorn, hate and disappointment for his faggot son who threw away his life to live in the dumps.

“Had you been home you’d have noticed! Had you only been home-” The line began in a shout and died in a choke. The words caught in Thor’s throat and everyone had been silent after.

“That’s a wrap?” Peter asked weakly when they finally reached the end of the script, his nose a little stuffy, though he’d never admit why.

Loki nodded. “Well done, everyone.”

Amora let out a loud sigh and rallied a round of applause for their day’s work, mostly out of relief. Even Sif, ever headstrong and steadfast, joined in the cheers signalling the end of the day.

Each actor took their turn to compliment Loki on his work, and again to express their gratitude for the opportunity. The playwright seemed to preen under the attention, but he waved it off.

“I can say at this point I am pleased with this cast. I do believe that you all will do well in introducing these characters to the world. Now, go home and study your lines. If you’re not off book by Friday that will tell me you’re not dedicated to the role.” Loki stood and snapped shut his binder.

“Thor, a quick word. While you’re here, help me with the chairs.”

Thor caught Amora’s raised brow as she picked up her purse and strode away with a smirk. He shook his head and took the seats to the back. Instead of lending a helping hand, he ended up doing the work himself while Loki leaned against the stage as the others made their way out.

Once he was done, Thor went to grab his bag, but was stopped by a thin hand on his shoulder.

“Sensual,” Loki said, “I was hoping you would have brought up that word when I asked you about your thoughts on ‘dance’, as you seem to have a fair bit of trouble with expressing that regard in particular.”

Thor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I meant I was aware you had issues in articulating intimacy, I just wanted to see how badly. I was present during your audition.”

“I- I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand.” Thor said, caught off guard. “Was that a test?”

“Yes and no.” Loki let out a short laugh, low and closer to a huff than anything. “Kristoph is a very important character to me. I expect that you’ll keep that in mind as you study your lines. Bring nothing less than one hundred percent every time we meet. I won’t allow for any less.”

“Uh, of course, Mister Laufeyson. I won’t let you down-”

“Good boy. Remember, to act is to be. Memorise your lines and let them become Kristoph’s voice.” Loki’s long fingers slowly slid off Thor’s shoulder before pausing to give him a thoughtful once over.

Thor squirmed uncomfortably. “Sir?”

Later, Thor would have swore he saw a hint of a smirk on the corners of Loki's pressed lips.

“Goodnight, Thor.” Loki responded, walking away as casually as he pulled Thor aside, leaving the blond a bit stunned in the empty theatre.


End file.
